Gravette School District

Position Description

Position Title: GSD Director of the Western Benton County Career Center

Contract Length: One year only

Contract Hours: Full-time or part-time with flexible schedule negotiable

Department: Workforce Education

Reports To: Superintendent

Evaluated By: Superintendent

Salary: Comparable to licensed personnel salary schedule

Position Overview:

The GSD Director is responsible for ensuring positive work outcomes for students.

The Western Benton County Career Center (WBCCC) partners with Arkansas’ post-secondary schools to provide students with the opportunity to earn job skills and career preparation that lead to gainful employment after graduation. These programs offer high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credit while still in school at no cost to the student or their families. These hands-on training programs can be the start of a high-paying career or lay the foundation for future higher education.

The GSD Director of the Western Benton County Career Center is responsible for the coordination of all career planning programs and activities associated with the WBCCC, so as to ensure that students and alumni are given opportunities to explore and select career options and acquire work related experiences to maximize career placement prospects. The GSD Director will make connections among stakeholders at multiple levels in ways that are mutually beneficial to the WBCCC students and regional business and industry partners.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

RECRUIT Students to Take Advantage of the Great Opportunities Offered at the WBCCC

• Collaborate with and provide support to Gravette School District administrators, counselors and the HIRED! Career Counselor in the following areas:
• K-12 career education and exploration activities.
• Post secondary education planning. (College and technical school)
• Marketing and recruiting for WBCCC workforce education programs.
• Facilitate field experiences, tours and open house recruiting events for the WBCCC.
• Registration assistance for the WBCCC workforce education programs.

• Liaison between the partner school districts with regard to post secondary career and technical programs. (Gravette, Bentonville, Decatur, Gentry, Siloam Springs)
• Marketing and recruiting for WBCCC workforce education programs.
• Facilitate field experiences, tours and open house recruiting events for the WBCCC.
• Registration assistance for the WBCCC workforce education programs.

• Form productive connections with WBCCC partner educators and administrators to ensure the services of the WBCCC meet the partner school district’s needs.

COLLABORATE with and SUPPORT Post Secondary Partners and Workforce Development Agencies to Maximize Opportunities for Students

• Liaison between the partner school districts with regard to post secondary career and technical programs. (Gravette, Bentonville, Decatur, Gentry, Siloam Springs)
• Oversees (in conjunction with host school representatives) any career and technical programs operating under an MOU with a post secondary partner and coursework offered at the Western Benton County Career Center in Gravette.
• Serve as a liaison between school districts and NWTI and other post secondary partners.
• Monitor, analyze, and evaluate current scope of services offered through the WBCCC. In collaboration with and under the direction of the Gravette Superintendent
• Pursue and acquire advantageous partnerships with post-secondary partners and workforce development agencies.
• Plan, implement, and direct new programs.
• In conjunction with local school districts, write and oversee grants to help fund career and technical programs and initiatives for both students and adults.
• In collaboration with post secondary and school district partners, initiate and/or participate in fundraising opportunities that support the workforce development programs, competitions and experiential learning for the WBCCC students.
• Participate in various professional organizations and professional growth experiences related to career technical education and workforce development.

NETWORK with Business and Industry Partners to Provide Students with Work Experiences and Job Opportunities

• Develop strong relationships with companies in Western Benton County (WBC) that may become key employers of alumni or partners for internship programs. Nurture those connections and keep them active.
• Interface with representatives of industrial, governmental, and educational employers to assist in the most effective outcomes of the workforce education and career services efforts.
• Serve as a liaison between postsecondary institutions, students and potential employers on the state and regional level.
• Network with WBC industry partners to determine the greatest workforce needs in WBC.
• Facilitate the development of pre-apprenticeship classes and an internship program for students based on need in the region.
• Provide and maintain an effective experiential education program for students and alumni through internships, work-study jobs, and part-time employment opportunities.
• Look for opportunities to get more students, alumni, and employers involved in the technical school and career placement process.
• Reach out to corporate and alumni partners, making connections and strengthening bonds to continually increase the WBCCC’s career placement rate.
• Develop new contacts with external organizations for the purpose of expanding employment opportunities for students and alumni.
• Provide support for upskilling and reskilling opportunities:
• Develop short term training opportunities in the evenings and on weekends for adults and high school students based on suggestions from industry partners.
• Develop partnerships with post secondary institutions to offer adult classes in WBCCC in the evenings for the most needed career pathways.
• Promote existing NWA opportunities for training and education for adults desiring to advance in their careers.
• Partner with governmental entities to increase offerings for workforce development in WBCCC.

FACILITATE and CELEBRATE Post-Graduation Educational Opportunities and/or Career Placement

• Provide and maintain an effective career discovery and planning program for new students, recent graduates, and alumni.
• Provide career resources and research materials.
• Provide direct career counseling and/or assist in securing job placement for graduates, as needed.
• Provide career advising expertise, workshops, seminars, and other presentations to students and alumni regarding the job-search process, interviewing, resume, and letter writing, and all other facets of career planning.
• Review and supervise recruitment and interview processes, resume referral and job listing services for current students as well as alumni.
• Organize job fairs, recruitment of high school students by industry partners, and ongoing career placement programs.
• Organize and/or partner with existing programs that recruit high school students for colleges, technical schools, and the military.
• Collect, analyze and report career placement statistics associated with the WBCCC.
• Market/Promote the success of students and alumni in a wide variety of ways, that brings prominence and recognition to the students and the WBCCC.

This position requires a high degree of diplomacy, flexibility and adaptability. Applicants must have good communication skills, both written and verbal. Gravette School District seeks a professional who is a patient, effective and clear communicator with demonstrated problem solving skills. The successful candidate must continue and improve the ongoing commitment to students, staff and community while fostering a creative, warm, caring and effective professional learning environment.

Qualifications:

Gravette School District seeks an individual who has demonstrated professional work experience in a field related to this position:

• Workforce Development/Workforce Education
• Career Technical Education
• Business and industry leadership
• College, technical school or business/industry recruitment
• Career development and planning
• Student counseling
• Public relations/marketing, particularly if on behalf of a technical school, university or career services organization

Clearances:

• Child Maltreatment
• Background Clearance